Best 2016 Movies

23 Films You Can't Miss In 2016

This article was originally published by AskMen UK — so don't mind the references to things like "pounds," "chaps" and "packets of crisps," whatever those are.

We’re currently sitting in the thick of awards season, which is all very nice – there are tons of great films from 2015 to watch over the next few weeks – but the world of movies is all about looking forward. And there are plenty of enticing offerings coming our way over the next year. Here are the 2016 movies you're definitely going to want to watch.

Deadpool – February 10

Pushed into being by an internet campaign, Deadpool is as cheap and cheerful as superhero movies go. Ryan Reynolds plays the title character, who undergoes an experimental treatment for cancer, which has the unexpected side-effect of mutilating him and giving him special powers. So he becomes a crime-fighter, of sorts. A very sarcastic, not very heroic one. This will live or die by Reynolds’ charisma and everything from the trailers shows him ramping it up to maximum power.

Zoolander 2 – February 12

A belated sequel didn’t work out so well for the similarly cultish Anchorman, but there still appears to be a lot of affection for pretty, dim Derek Zoolander. The big name cameo count is high – Cumberbatch, Bieber, Wiig – and it looks as silly as the first, which can only be in its favour.

Hail Caesar! – March 4

The Coen brothers bring back one of their best frequent collaborators, George Clooney, for an old-Hollywood story about a movie star being kidnapped by a cult. The trailers are sumptuously glossy and full of nods to the golden age of movies. Channing Tatum, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, Ralph Fiennes and Tilda Swinton co-star. So much to love.

Anomalisa – March 11

Charlie Kaufman makes bizarre films, but at their core is always a moving, nakedly emotional story. Anomalisa is no different. This stop-motion animation follows a man who is coasting through life, so much so that he now sees and hears all people as completely identical; just one big fog of the same voice and face wherever he turns. When he hears a voice different from the rest he follows it in the hopes of finding a new meaning to his life. It’s an astonishing story of love and selfishness and will quite possibly beat Inside Out to the Oscar.

The Witch – March 11

A much-hyped horror from debut director Robert Eggers. Set in New England in 1630, it concerns a family of pilgrims who move to a shack on the edge of a forest. A child is stolen by a witch and then the nightmare begins. Reviews from festivals were gushing and the general consensus is that you are unlikely to see a scarier movie this year.

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice – March 25

It should be the biggest superhero movie of the year, bringing together both Batman (now played by Ben Affleck) and Superman (still played by Henry Cavill), then throwing in Wonder Woman (Gal Godot) for good measure. Yet excitement for the superhero face-off doesn’t feel as heated as it is for others out in 2016. Perhaps it’s because expectation is too high for a film that’s been in various stages of development for about a decade. Perhaps it’s down to a couple of confusing, busy trailers. Perhaps we should all just wait to see it and hope for the best.

Eddie The Eagle – April 1

If you are ‘of an age’ you may well remember Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards. His dream was to represent his country at the 1988 Winter Olympics, which he did by entering the ski-jumping, despite not being especially good at ski-jumping. This adorable comedy, directed by Dexter Fletcher (Sunshine on Leith), tells Eddie’s story with great affection for its subject. Rising star Taron Egerton plays the title role.

Captain America: Civil War – April 29

Anthony and Joe Russo directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which despite featuring what should be the least interesting Avenger turned out to be one of the best Marvel films yet. So hopes are high now that they have a much stronger cast of characters. Setting up a story that will play out over several films to come, Civil War sees the world’s superheroes asked by the government to register their identities and operate according to the needs of the country. Some, led by Iron Man, agree. Others, led by Captain America, don’t trust the politicians to control the Avengers any better than they would do themselves.

X-Men: Apocalypse – May 19

Do we think, now that post-Star Wars VII everyone is to some degree in love with Oscar Isaac, that we’ll see him pushed forward as this film’s big star? In the third in the current series Isaac plays Apocalypse, an ancient mutant who comes to the 1980s because he loves disco and Skip-its, and to destroy the world. Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy are all back, with the addition of Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, Tye Sheridan as Cyclops, Kodi Smit-McPhee as Nightcrawler and Eastenders Ben Hardy as Angel. This film has more leads than a dogwalker’s rucksack.

The Nice Guys – June 3

Oh god this looks good. Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3) writes wonderful dialogue and it seems to be delivered splendidly by Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe. Crowe is a slick 1970s private investigator and Gosling a fairly useless, cheapo version of the same. Both are looking for a missing girl. Based on that toilet scene alone we’re all in.

Independence Day: Resurgence – June 24

The original Independence Day balanced a fine line between fun hokum and absolute garbage. This long-in-the-offing sequel really only needs to deliver the same. It no longer has Will Smith, but there’s still plenty of Jeff Goldblum and, honestly, that’s more important.

Ghostbusters – July 15

Columbia Pictures

They’ve recast it with women! This will change everything! Like… the voices will be a bit higher. Honestly, if you listened to some of the fragile little boys of the internet – which is a thing we must never do – you’d think making a new version of The Ghostbusters with a female cast was akin to making it with four Hitlers. Those women are Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones (the latter two are best known for Saturday Night Live, on which they are superb). They are all very funny. Is a remake of Ghostbusters necessary? Not really. Is the talent involved strong enough that this should be given a chance? Totally.

The BFG – July 22

If anybody can take on one of Roald Dahl’s best-loved stories it’s Steven Spielberg. The first trailer suggests Senor Spielbergo has got the Dahl tone to a tee – just scary enough that you shiver, but warm enough that you want to stay with it. Newcomer Ruby Barnhill will play Sophie, the little girl who is taken away to the land of the giants by the kindest of their breed. The giants will be realised with CGI and voiced by the likes of Mark Rylance, Bill Hader and Jemaine Clement.

Star Trek Beyond – July 22

Now that JJ Abrams is having a well-earned rest after all his Star Wars exertions, the job of continuing the Star Trek franchise, which Abrams had previously revitalised, falls to Justin Lin. The director of Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6 will likely have a very different sensibility to his predecessor, but surely we should expect some insane intergalactic chase scenes?

Bourne 5 – July 29

At the moment all we really know about the fifth Bourne movie, or the fourth if you discount that disappointing Jeremy Renner side-project, is that it takes place in a post-Edward Snowden world. Why has Jason Bourne returned when he’d finally got some semblance of a life back? Who knows, but since Matt Damon is returning to star and Paul Greengrass coming back to direct him, we should assume the reason is a good one.

Suicide Squad – August 5

Of all the comic book movies out this year, and there are many, this represents probably the most interesting idea. There are no heroes. Instead, The Suicide Squad is about a group of villains who are coerced into accepting a dangerous secret government mission in return for clemency. The cast is huge, and while Will Smith as Deadshot and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn are very enticing, the main attraction will be Jared Leto slashing his mark on The Joker.

The Magnificent Seven – September 23

Columbia Pictures

The remaking of the classic western was inevitable, not just because of the name recognition but because it offers seven meaty roles. Among the septet of gunmen who come to the aid of a poor town under threat from thieves are Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, and Matt Bomer. Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equaliser) is calling the shots. So manly you’ll probably have to shave twice just watching it.

Monster Calls – October 21

Based on a beautiful book by Patrick Ness, this is a semi-fantasy about a boy who has nightmares while his family is going through something traumatic. Those nightmares involve a giant, tree-like monster who starts to bleed into the boy’s reality as he tells him stories about the difficulty of humans. Juan Antonio Bayona, director of The Orphanage and The Impossible, is the perfect director for material that’s both emotional and frightening, while his cast, including Felicity Jones as the boy’s sick mother, Sigourney Weaver as his chilly grandmother and Liam Neeson as the monster, is spot on.

The Girl on the Train – October 7

Getty/Dimitrios Kambouris

The positives for this adaptation of 2015’s must-read novel, about a depressed alcoholic who develops an obsession with a couple she watches during her daily commute and investigates when one of them goes missing, are, a) It already has high interest based on the book's success, b) It has a stunning cast, including Emily Blunt in the title role, plus Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Alison Janney and Edgar Ramirez. The only thing against it is that most people know how it ends.

Doctor Strange – October 28

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Another Marvel movie, but the last one of the year, promise. A neurosurgeon, Stephen Strange, discovers magical powers after a car accident. The character isn’t one of Marvel’s best known, but when the cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role, plus Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen and Chiwetel Ejiofor, it’s the best Marvel cast yet. Scott Derrickson, who has mostly made horror movies, directs, which might hint at a scary tone.

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them – November 18

Warner Bros shrewdly tries to revive the megabucks Harry Potter franchise with the first part of a trilogy set in the same world, but long before any of the Potter characters were born. Eddie Redmayne plays Newt Scamander, a 1920s collector of magical animals, who is great at collecting but not so good at keeping, as he lets some escape in New York.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – December 16

Disney

Obviously everyone knew The Force Awakens would be huge, because it continued a story we all knew, with familiar characters, but this will be the test of Disney’s plans to release a Star Wars-related movie every year. It’s linked to the Skywalker saga but tells the story of the pilots who stole the plans for the first Death Star and set up Luke’s mission at the end of the first Star Wars. Is this a Star Wars prequel the fans can get excited about?

Passengers – December 23

Getty/Nicholas Hunt/Jason Merritt

Any film would love to have Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt as its leads right now. There is no hotter talent. This movie got them. Set far into the future, it sees Pratt and Lawrence as two among many people put to sleep for the long journey to a faraway planet. Everyone is supposed to stay unconscious for the entire journey, but Pratt’s character wakes up. After a while he decides he can’t go on without company and wakes up Lawrence’s character. Is that a grand romantic gesture or the ultimate in selfishness?